Stakeholder Mapping for Integration of Opportunity Crops into African Food Systems

Abstract

The report maps organizations working on opportunity crops, forgotten foods and neglected and underutilized species (NUS) to inform an Africa-wide directory and Community of Practice. A purposive online survey yielded 84 complete institutional responses: 73 from 15 African countries, led by Nigeria (33), and 11 from outside Africa. The ecosystem is research-heavy: 67 respondents (79.8%) identify with research and academia, while farmer organizations, financiers and market actors are under-represented. Most organizations do research (69), farmer training (60) and production support (47); far fewer do aggregation (11), trading (8) or financing (8). The most reported species are indigenous leafy vegetables, traditional fruits and nuts, sorghum, Bambara groundnut and cowpea. Lack of funding is the main constraint (94.0%), and 33 organizations report annual NUS budgets under USD 10,000. Support for a continental platform is strong: 79 respondents (94.0%) would join one. The report proposes a seven-point action matrix: a Community of Practice, a governed directory, a catalytic financing facility, crop and value-chain clusters, policy and procurement work, consumer demand building, and a shared evidence framework.